Automatic train pipe connecter



May 22, 1934. J ROBINSON 1,959,499

I AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Original Filed Nov. 6. 1930 INVENTOR IW MwM ATTORN EY5 Patented May 22, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE1,959,499 AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE CONNECTER Joseph Robinson, New

York, N. Y., assignor of one-half to Roy M. Wolvin, Montreal, Quebec,

Canada 4 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic train pipe connecters andparticularly to the universal joint in supporting such connecters forfree universal movement whereby they may accommodate themselves to thevarious positions cars assume in service.

In my copending application Serial #394,856 filed September 24th, 1929is shown a universal joint of the type of which the present constructionis an improvement. It sometimes happens, in cases of extreme couplerslip-bye, that the automatic connecter head and body will be turned to aposition at a right angle to the track. Sometimes when the head and bodyare moved to this position, the head is also shoved upwardly. Thisupward movement of the head throws the rear end 10 of the pipe or body(see Figures 3 and 4 of my above copending application) downwardlyallowing the lugs or shoulders 12 to enter the opening 18 in the end 10of the pipe or body of my said copending application. It sometimeshappens that at the same time the head 16 of the tie rod of theconstruction in my copending application rolls or drops to the positionshown at 5 in Figure 3 of the accompanying drawing. When in thiscondition the connecter body or pipe cannot of course automaticallyreturn to the normal position. If while stuck in this crosswise positionthe connecter extends across the pipe or body of the connecter on theopposite car, then when the two cars are parted the head of thecrosswise connecter will foul behind the head of the other connecter,and since its pipe cannot swing in the universal joint, while stuck asjust described, the universal joint or lower portion of the bracket willbe twisted causing some damage.

It isthe object of the present invention to avoid this possibility. Thestructural improvements by which these are accomplished are illustratedin the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a sectional sideelevation of an automatic connecter having my improved universal joint;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view through the universal joint and a partof the connecter body this section being taken on the line 22 ofFigure 1. In this view the connecter body is shown turned at a rightangle to the track, the position in which the universal joint and bodywould become locked together except for improvements described in thisapplication Figure 3 is an elevation of the lower end of the bracketshown in Figure 1 slightly modified. In this View the tie rod seat onthe bracket is oiT-set rearwardly, and the tie rod head is shown insection. In this view is also shown the hereinbefore described positionthe tie rod head sometimes gets into under the influence of extremecoupler slip-bys;

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view of the lower end of the bracketshowing my improved universal joint and tie rod assembly, and

Figure 5 is a face view of the lower end of the bracket with the flangesor webs 15 and 16 omitted, and illustrating the objectionable positionof the member B which the present invention aims to prevent.

With the present construction the fouling of the pipe or body of theconnecter and the universal joint cannot occur. The lower end 6 of thebracket A is disposed approximately vertically and is round in crosssection. It is provided with upper and lower transversely extendingabutments or shoulders '7 and 8 similar to the shoulders 12 of myaforesaid copending application. Midway between its length the portion Gis provided with a curved or flared seat 9 for the similarly shapedhollow head or eye 10 of the tie rod 11. The seat includes horizontal-1y disposed annular rings or shoulders 12 and 14 and are preferablyarranged eccentrically as shown particularly in Figure 2.- The crossmembers or shoulders 7 and 8 are provided with forwardly extendingcurved flanges 15 and 16 employed to. give enlargement to the outer endsof the shoulders and prevent their entering the opening 17 in the rearend of the pipe or body B of my improved connecter when the body ismoved to a position at a right angle to the track shown in Figure 2 andhereinbefore described. The shoulders 15 and 16 are curved and areextended forwardly of the portion 6 in order to produce an eccentricsurface, when the connecter body 13 and universal joint are in theposition shown in Figure 2, which will enable the butter spring 0 toautomatically throw or return the body B,and in consequence the couplinghead D to the normal position shown in Figure 1. The lower end 6 of thebracket A is positioned between the straps 18 and 19 of the body B. Inother words it is spanned by the body B. The head 10 of the tie rod 11is provided with a perforation of sufiicient length and width as tofreely permit it to be passed over the projections 8 on the lower end ofthe bracket and moved upwardly over the annular ring or shoulder 14 andinto its seat 9 on the portion-6. The forward end 20 of the tie rod isflared in opposite directions to the flare of the seat 9. The curve inthis portion 20 where it contacts with a the anchor lug 6 of the bracketmay either follow the curve of such lug, as shown in the drawing, orthe. curve thereon may extend from the inner walls of the perforated tierod head 10 and encircle the portion 6. As shown the said inner wallsare offset away from the curve of the head 20 as shown at 21, but theseoffsets may, as stated, be eliminated if desired. The lower end of thebracket shown in Figure 3 differs from the bracket shown in Figure 1only to the extent that the seat 9 and portion 6 in the Figure 3construction are offset 'rearwardly. With this construction the annularshoulders 12 and 14 need not extend entirely around the portion 6 as theindented seat 9 on the front face of the portion 6 in this constructionserves to support the forward end 20 of the tie rod 11. It will beobvious that with this construction, as in the case of the otherembodiment illustrative of my invention, the tie rod head cannot fall tothe position shown in dotted lines at 5 in Figure -3 when the connecterbody B moves to the position shown in Figure 2. The opening 17 in therear end of the body 13 is of less dimension vertically than laterallywhich means additional insurance against the cross members-7 or 8 entering the opening under the conditions previously described. It will beunderstood that the shoulders or abutments 7 and 8 of the bracket A, incooperation with the inclined rear portions 22 of the straps 18 and 19of the body B, serve to position the body on the bracket and preventundue rotation thereof relative to the bracket. In case the spring C ortie rod 11 should break, the lower projection or shoulder 8 serves toprevent dislocation of the pipe or body B from the bracket. 1

It sometimes happens that the rear end of the pipe or body B, when theuniversal joint is constructed as shown in my aforesaid'copendingapplication, gets into the position indicated in Figure 5. The couplerslips by and shoves the body to a position at a right angle to the trackand tilts the coupling head and body upwardly, causing theflange 23to'ride or climb up on the lower cross member orabutment 8 of thebracket A, and the straps 18 and 19 to straddle the upper lug 7 of "thebracket. This fouling of the parts is effectually'prevented by addingsome addi tional metal to the bottom of the pipe flange, as shown at 23'in Figure 1. In other words, the flange 23 extends downwardly to such anextent as to prevent the lower edge thereof from crawling or riding upinto the position shown in Figure 5, and in consequence the ribs orenlargements-15 and 16 on the cross members or lugs shown especiallywell in Figures 2 and 4 maybe omitted. The retaining walls orprojections 12 and 14 may be limited to the front and rear faces of theanchor lug 6 in which case the opening in the tie rod head 10 may benarrower than shown.

What I claim is: v

1. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, acoupling head, a bracket, a member extending rearwardly from the headand having parts spanning the bracket, said bracket having laterallyextending abutments above and below said member and cooperatingtherewith to support the same: on the bracket,

said bracket also having a seat disposed between the parts of saidmember, a flange or projection-connecting the rear ends of said spacedparts of said member, said flange having an opening therein, a tie rodextending from the rear 'of said bracket and through said opening andembracing said seat, a spring carried by said tie rod, means on saidbracket to maintain said tie rod in a substantially horizontal positionwhen the same and said member are moved to extreme lateral positionsaround said bracket, the opening in said flange being of such size withrespect to said tie rod as to prevent upward movement of said flangeabove the lower abutments on said bracket when said member and tie rodare moved to extreme lateral positions, whereby fouling of said memberon said laterally extending abutments is prevented.

2. An automatic train pipe connecter comprising, in combination, acoupling head, a bracket,

bracket having laterally extending abutments above and below said memberand cooperating therewith to support the same on the bracket, saidbracket also having a seat disposed between the parts of said member, aflange or p'rojec tion connecting the rear ends 'of said spaced parts ofsaid member, said flange having an opening therein, a tie rod extendingfrom the rear of said bracket and through said opening and embracingsaid seat, a spring carried by said tie rod, means on said bracket tomaintain said tie -rod in a substantially horizontal position when thesame and said member are moved to extreme lateral positions around saidbracket, the opening in said flange being "of such size with respect tosaid tie rod as to prevent extreme upward movement of said flange, andthe lower portion of said flange extending downwardly to such an extentas to prevent the lower edge thereof from riding up on the lowerprojections on said abutment when said member is moved to said extremelateral positions around the bracket. 1

3. An automatic train pipe connecter compris ing, in combination, abracket, 'a head supporting member spanning said bracket, said brackethaving laterally extending abutments above and below said member andcooperating therewith to support the same on the bracket, said bracketalso having spaced shoulders formed "thereon between saidabutments andextending laterally thereof, whereby a seat is formed between saidshoulders, a flange connecting the "rear ends of said spaced portions ofthe head supporting member and arranged to bear against said abu'tments,said flange having an opening therein, a tie rod extending from the rearof said bracket through said opening and embracing said seat betweensaid shoulders, a springca'rrie'd by said tie rod and bearing againstsaid flange, said shoulders serving to support said tie rod in asubstantially horizontal position when the tie rod and head supportingmember are moved to extreme lateral positions around the bracket, saidopening in said flange being of such size that the lower part of saidopening will contact with fro said tie rod to thereby'prev'ent upwardmovea seat, a flange connecting the rear ends 0')? ing in said flangebeing of such size with respect to said tie rod as to prevent upwardmovement of said flange above the lower abutments on said bracket whensaid member and tie rod are moved to extreme positions, whereby foulingof said member on said extending abutments is prevented.

JOSEPH ROBINSON.

